Cushioning means for trolley conveyers



June 6, 1933.

A. w. LEMMON 1,912,647 .CUSHIQNING MEANS FO R TROLLEY CONVEYERS- Filed March 30, 1932 Ely; 3-

[Nl ENTORZ Alex '5' W Lemmon Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED y STATES PATENT orrlce ALEXIS W. LEHKON', OF OOLUIBUB, OHIO, ASBIGlfOB T0 m Ins-nus! TUBING COMPANY, A CORPORATIONOI' OHIO IAIUIAC- CUSHIONING MEANS FOR TBOLLEY CONVEYEBB Application fled latch 30, 1882. Serial 1T0. 601,983.

My invention relates to apparatus for protecting articles conveyed by travelling conveyer a paratus, and although it is particularl a apted for use in connection with a trolley conveyer apparatus, it should be understood that it may have a general application.

'One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of cushioning blades or sheets mounted for positioning between articles being moved around curved paths of conveyor apparatus. l a

More particularly it is the object of my invention to provide for the interposition ofv cushioning material between articles while being conveyed so as to prevent contact between the articles, and therebyavoid injury by impact between adjacent articles while bein conveyed.

Ot er objects'of the invention will a pear hereinafter, the novel features and com inations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 illustrates trolley conveyor apparatus embodying my invention. r

Fig. 2 is a plan view'of mechanism for carrying cushionin blades in position to separate articles w ile being carried by a trolley conveyor around a curved path.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view taken along line 33 in Fig. 2 of one of the cushioning blades attached to an arm broken away from the spider support or rotary carrier shown in fn Fig. 1 supporting frame-work is shown at 4 and 5 for supportmg the I-beem 6 which forms a track for the trolley'conveyer comprising the driving-chain 7, the hangers 8 and the trolley wheels 9. The ha rs 8 are connected at intervals to the chain tion to carry in sus ded position the articles 10 by means 0 the suspending connections 11. 1

For the sake of economy in the handling of the articles by means of the trolle conveyor apparatus, the hangers are a as cloiellfi together as the nature of 0 articles permit without their coming into contact with each other. When the articles are carried around curved paths, however,- they are to thedirection of rotation of the brought into such close relation that they may contact with each other, and by reason of the rapidity of the travel of the articles the impact of contact may be suificient, in many instances, to cause marring of or injury 56 to the articles bein conveyed. v

The curved pat s of the trolley conve er hangers may be around a drivin sproc et through an arc of 180 or less and a so around guiding sprockets or guiding grooves. For so instance, the trolley conveyor illustrated in Fig. 1 may be a long loop, the right-hand end of which comprises a driving chain meshing with a driving sprocket 23, and the lefthand end of which comprises a driving chain es extending around an idler sprocket 24.

In Fig. '1 a motor 12 is shownconnected by a sprocket chain 13 to the mechanism 14 for drlving a vertical shaft 15 connected to the sprocket which meshes with the rights hand end of the loop of the driving cham -7.

Mounted on the shaft 15, as shown in Fig. 2, is a supporting spider or carrier 16 having a piurahty of radial arms 17; 17 to which may bolted, as shown M18 in Fig. 3, vertical I5 rectangular plates 19, or sheets of resilient or one ioning material.

In Fig. 2, which is a plan view of the spider supportm structure or rotary carrier, the

plates or s cats 19 may be connected at their so upper ends to metal strips 20 so as to be curved at those portions distant from the axis of rotation, with the concave side 9 posits 1 or mdicated by the arrow 21. The artic cs 10 are illustrated in the positions which they will assume when travelling around the curved path as defined by the path of r the conveyor i hain2 illustrated by the broken line 22 in illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, the cushioning blades 19 are'of suflicient length to prevent contact between either the upper portions or the lower portions of the articles 10 being conveyed by the trolley conveyer apparatus. Aside from beingmade of various dimensions, including length, width and thickness, the cushioning blades or sheets may also be made of various shapes. The nature of the material of which the cushioning 9 blades or sheets are made will depend upon the nature of the articles being conveyed. For instance, if the articles are metal the cushioning blades may be com osed of wood, fiber, or other material which 1s soft relative to the metal articles. If the articles being conveyed are provlded wlth a fimshm polish, such as varnish or other materia and marrin between the finished articles is to be avoide the cushionin sheets or blades may be composed of such so cushioning material as rubber, leather, or sheets of soft composition.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and I wish therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus disclosed an embodiment of the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.- In a conveyer system, the combination with a trolley conveyer having means for suspending articles at intervals, of a rotary carrier at a curve in the conveyer, and a cushion on said carrier in position to separate adjacent articles supended from said conveyer.

7. In a conveyer system, the combination with a trolley conveyer comprisin a chain and a sprocket in mesh therewith, o a rotary carrier connected concentrically to said carrier to rotate therewith, and a plurality of radial cushioning separators suspended at intervals from said carrier.

, 8. In a conveyer system, the combination with a trolley conveyer comprising a sprocket with a chain meshing therewith and hangers connected at intervals to said chain, of a rotary carrier connected to said sprocket to rotate therewith, and cushioning separators mounted on said carrier to alternate with the hangers as they travel around said s rocket.

9. In a conveyer system, the com ination with a trolley conveyer, of a rotary spider at a curve in the path of said conveyer, said spider comprising a plurality of radial arms, separators of cushioning material adapted to be suspended between articles supported by said conveyer, and means for detachably secgring said separators to the arms of said sp1 er.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 28th day of March A. D. 1932.

ALEXIS W. LEMMON.

2.- In a conveyer system, the combination with a conveyer, of a carrier at a curve in the conveyer, and means on the carrier in POSI- t1on to separate ad acent articles on sa d conve'yer.

' operated on by said conveyer, and means for driving said conveyer.

4. In a conveyer system, the combination with a trolley conveyer, of a sprocket at a curve in the path of the conveyer and mounted on a vertical axis, a carrier connected to said sprocket to rotate therewith, and aplurality of spaced-apart cushioning sheets mounted on said carrier.

. 5. In a conveyer system, the combination with a traveling conveyer comprising a chain and a sprocket meshing therewith of a carrier connected to said sprocket to be rotated thereby, and a plurality of spaced-apart separators on said carrier in position to prevent contact between adjacent articles moved by said conveyer.

6. In a conveyer system, the combination with a travelling and a s rocket mes ing therewith, said sprocket ing mounted for rotation on an upright axis, of a carrier connected to said sprocket to be driven thereby, and cushioning.

separators suspended radially at intervals from said carrier in position to extend between adjacent articles suspended from said trolley conveyer.

conveyer comprising a chain 

